Prices are adult admission from the gazetteer survey; opening times change by season, so check each museum page before travelling. County from the museum's postcode.
Every museum in Essex
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stow Maries Great War AerodromeChelmsford, Essex | £12 | 11 | The aerodrome itself: 24 listed RFC buildings, plus flying examples of Great War types on event days (a Fairey Swordfish cameo got… |
| Boxted Airfield MuseumColchester, Essex | Donation | 1 | Boxted flew Marauders, Mustangs and the 56th Fighter Group's Thunderbolts; the Nissen-hut museum holds a substantial B-26 fuselage… |
| East Essex Aviation MuseumClacton-on-Sea, Essex | Free | 1 | An aviation museum inside a Martello tower at Point Clear: crash-site recoveries (including a P-51 engine with pilot's story attached)… |
| Vulcan Restoration Trust (XL426), SouthendSouthend-on-Sea, Essex | £10 | 1 | XL426 herself, ex-Scampton display aircraft, whose APU-powered control-surface demos let visitors in the cockpit actually waggle a… |
| North Weald Airfield MuseumEpping, Essex | £5 | — | North Weald's museum in the old station office covers a fighter station that ran from 1916 Zeppelin defence through the Battle of Britain… |
| Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative MuseumHalstead, Essex | Free | — | Ridgewell was Essex's only long-serving B-17 base (381st BG); the commemorative museum in the old hospital site does jeep rides on event… |
| Wethersfield Airfield MuseumBraintree, Essex | Free | — | Wethersfield's 82-year story (WWII to USAF Cold War to MoD police) told from temporary quarters in Finchingfield after eviction from the… |
Essex and its aviation
Today’s museums are mostly airfield museums with few airframes. Stow Maries holds 11, all First World War types, including Avro 504K H2311. The exception is Southend, where the Vulcan Restoration Trust keeps XL426 in taxiable condition. Four of the seven are free: Ridgewell, Wethersfield, Boxted and the East Essex Aviation Museum at Clacton.
- Stow Maries and the Vulcan at Southend are 7 miles apart.
- Ridgewell opens on the second Sunday of the month, March–October. Wethersfield, 6 miles away, opens April–October.
- North Weald Airfield Museum opens April–November.
- East Essex Aviation Museum’s hours are erratic; check before travelling.
Aircraft you can only see in Essex
Frequently asked
What is the biggest aviation museum in Essex?
Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome, with 11 airframes and 24 listed RFC buildings. Adult entry is listed at £12.
Are there free aviation museums in Essex?
Yes, four: Ridgewell, Wethersfield, the East Essex Aviation Museum at Clacton, and Boxted, which asks for a donation.
Can you go inside the Vulcan at Southend?
On the trust’s visit days you can get underneath XL426 and, for an extra charge, inside. Check its dates before travelling.